August 2, 2011

Saints re-sign TE Thomas, Humphrey

TE David Thomas, a favorite weapon of Drew Brees and an excellent pass catching option who can also flex to fullback, has re-signed with the Saints.

Thomas, 28, 6'3, 248 and five years out of the University of Texas, had been an unrestricted free agent. He played his first three years in New England before he was traded to the Saints on cutdown day in September of 2009. He was drafted by New England, but fell out of favor in a numbers game and enjoyed a re-birth in New Orleans, catching 75 passes in the past two seasons after catching only 20 with the Patriots.

Thomas started the playoff game in Seattle because of injuries to starters Jeremy Shockey and Jimmy Graham, and started two playoff games in 2009 though not the Super Bowl. Thomas played in Super Bowl XLIV and caught one pass for nine yards, though it set up Brees' go-ahead touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey two plays later.

With Shockey off the roster and ascendant Graham claiming stake on the starting job, Thomas looks to be the #2 TE, a position that still gets a lot of playing time and receptions.

The Saints also re-signed free agent TE Tory Humphrey, 6'2, 255, who has also been with the Saints since 2009. The blocking-oriented Humprhey appeared in six games last year, starting two because of a string of injuries, but with only one reception in each season. Humphrey was on the Saints' roster but inactive for Super Bowl XLIV.